Fitness
Fitness
Watch these international athletes try ice bath training
This is what happened when nine of the world’s best athletes tested the Wim Hof Method, using cold therapy and specialised breathing techniques.
Keeping relaxed while sitting up to your neck in ice is no mean feat. But that’s exactly what was demanded of nine top international athletes as they took part in a Wim Hof Method workshop in Dublin earlier this month.
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Devised by Dutchman Wim Hof, the method combines breathing techniques with extreme cold. Benefits are said to include reducing stress, boosting energy, increasing endurance and fortifying the immune system – which is all super relevant to professional athletes who face a constant pressure of performing at their best.
The nine athletes who attended the workshop in Platinum Gyms, Portmarnock included world champion cliff diver Gary Hunt, canoeist Joe Clarke, ultrarunner Tom Evans and Irish big wave surfer Conor Maguire. Irish international hockey player Nikki Daly, artistic gymnast Rhys McClenaghan, swimmer Shane Ryan, cyclist Evie Richards and cliff diver Celia Fernandez Lopez were also put through their paces by Níall O Murchú, one of the few Wim Hof Method instructors in Ireland.
The objective of the workshop is to give people the ability to control how they feel and think while under extreme pressure, such as the cold. The athletes were first taught how to breathe profoundly and deeply, in order to influence their nervous system. Next followed a series of exercises to sharpen their mental focus by using their breath, before the culmination of the workshop: getting into the ice bath.
Once people learn how to deal with the ice and relax in it, they can apply it to any part of their lives. It helps people deal with stress of all levels – whether you’re a competing athlete or just facing an emotionally difficult time.
Here's what the athletes thought of the experience.
Rhys McClenaghan, artistic gymnast:
“The word ‘ice bath’ strikes fear into most people – they shiver just at the thought of it. During the course we had ice baths and were given breathing techniques that stopped us from shivering and shaking. We were taught to take a deep inhale – feeling the breath from your toes right up to your head – then take a prolonged exhale. It was interesting to hear the science behind the method; how it helps relax your body and mind. Ice baths are something I’ve been looking to incorporate more into my training – I use them for recovery like many athletes, but I’d never been sure exactly what the benefits were until I went on this course.”
Celia Fernandez Lopez, cliff diver:
“As a cliff diver, I need to be able to control my nerves and prepare for cold water, since I often have to perform in bad conditions. The breathing techniques we learnt were really helpful in controlling our emotions and preparing our bodies for competitions. It involved breathing from the belly, up through the chest and then to the head, holding the breath for as long as possible before taking another breath. I used to just take deep, controlled breaths but this breath-holding was completely new to me and I’ll be using it in future competitions.”
Gary Hunt, cliff diver:
“I’ve read a lot about Wim Hof in the past, and I’m used to ice baths, but it’s always been brute force – I tend to just jump in and deal with it. It was interesting to learn how concentrating on your breathing can help and make you really relax in this cold water and how much more beneficial it is for you if you manage to get into this state of relaxation. I’m a big believer in mind over matter and what you’re capable of if you believe in something, so I was very interested in what Wim Hof has been able to do through these breathing exercises. I’ll definitely be adapting some of my competitions techniques to what I learnt at the workshop in Dublin.”
Nicci Daly, hockey player:
“I’ve done ice baths for years with the hockey team, but I still dread getting into them every single time. I focus on the wrong things – like asking ‘when am I going to get out?’ – which leaves me feeling like I can’t cope. At the Wim Hof Workshop we learnt breathing techniques and the results were amazing. It’s incredible how, when you focus your mind on something other than the problem, you overcome it. Taking my attention away from the fact that the water was cold, and instead focusing on the breathing, was the biggest lesson for me. It allowed my whole body to relax instead of getting all worked up. My hockey teammates always joke about how I’m always shivering and shaking in ice baths, but now I’m going to be perfect in one!”
Joe Clarke, canoeist
“I train in cold water every day in winter but I’m still a softie when it comes to the cold. Niall [the instructor] was great and really reassuring. It wasn’t about the amount of time we lasted in the ice, it was about the way we controlled our feelings while in the ice. Niall could tell from our facial expressions whether we had got to a point of relaxation, and he would release us when we reached that point. It was a very individual process, not competitive. For an athlete that was quite strange as you’re normally trying to push your limits. The workshop has given me tactics to get warm while training in cold water, and also to switch my focus onto what’s important. I’ve already started fully submerging in 4℃ water after training at Lee Valley. It’s quite fun – and I’m sure it’s doing something positive.”
Niall O Murchu preps the athletes for the ice baths
© Inpho Photography
Tom Evans, ultrarunner
“Coming from an endurance background, I notice how my breathing changes, so focusing on my breath to control how I’m feeling is really useful. Doing it in a group of likeminded people was awesome, and meant I got so much more from it. I use ice baths in training but when I get in I hate it because I can’t control my breathing. But, after learning the techniques in the workshop, when I got in the ice bath this time I could control my breath straight away.
After the athletes had completed the Ice Bath Challenge
© Inpho Photography
The workshop helps with both pre and post race tactics – you’re learning to control your breath and feelings before a competition, and how to control your breathing while in a recovery ice bath. These simple breathing exercises to reduce anxiety and calm yourself down is hugely beneficial and I’m looking forward to putting them into practice. I’ve started doing ten minutes of breathing in bed every morning when I wake up – it makes me feel more refreshed and ready to tackle the challenges the day will throw at me. This isn’t just for athletes – it’s for everyone and allows you to focus so much more during the day.”
